13th-19th May 2019 is Mental Health Awareness WeekHere are a few things I have been doing.If you have any thoughts or comments I would love to hear your feedback! You can contact me by email, by the contact form on my website, or using the feedback forms at the bottom of my individual webpages.

Emma Bragdon & Mike Rush

Something to Watch

Interested in spirituality and mental health or spiritual emergency in particular?

I was recently interviewed by Emma Bragdon of IMHU about the Spiritual Crisis Network (SCN) in the UK, how I have benefited from Emma's Spiritual Emergence Coach training, and the PhD research that I have just begun.

The entire EARS website has had a bit of a face-lift to make it easier to read and more accessible on mobile devices. I have also included some new additions to the site...

Resources: The EARS LibraryI now welcome visitors who may be interested in browsing the EARS library. Items include over 2000 books, journals, and DVDs, on spiritual topics. Items are not for loan but visitors are welcome to visit by appointment and enjoy a browse, a chat, and a cuppa!

Resources: Stuff To WatchI have added an excellent video of William Bloom presenting on practical techniques for psychic protection. William says, 'This Psychic Protection class (based on the bestselling book 'Psychic Protection') is for experienced practitioners and beginners. Filled with practical exercises and great insights, it will help you maintain your strength and centre in disturbing vibrations'.

Spiritual CrisisA new page providing a summary of spiritual crisis or spiritual emergency. Spiritual crisis is often also referred to as ‘spiritual emergency’, ‘spiritual emergence’, ‘Kundalini awakening’ , or ‘spiritual awakening’. In the U.S. spiritual crisis is provided for by the inclusion of ‘spiritual or religious problem’ in the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual 5 (DSM-5) used by American psychiatrists.

I am a registered Spiritual Emergence Coach with the IMHU and one of the Directors of the Spiritual Crisis Network (SCN) in the UK. I assist the SCN by responding to people going through spiritual emergency, co-facilitating the SCN Sheffield peer-support group, and providing training and awareness sessions.

HypnotherapyAnother new page explaining a bit about hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy can be used to treat a wide range of issues and ailments including: anxiety, depression, bad habits, pain and discomfort, enhancing athletic or academic performance, and psychological disorders.

A few years ago, mediumship was considered a mental illness. That means, any report of hearing voices or seeing things that most people couldn't, was considered a symptom of madness by psychiatry. Over the years this has changed, and mediumistic sessions besides being studied at major universities in the world, began to be used by certain schools of psychiatry as a complementary therapy to combat mental illness.

The group provides a safe and supportive environment for open discussion about the experience of spiritual crisis.

A new link to Katie Mottram's Emerging Kind groups

The Emerging Kind (tEK) Peer Support Groups are for people who view their mental health crisis as part of a spiritual transformation process, and would like to be part of a group where they are validated and supported to find meaning in their experience.

tEK groups aim to provide safe spaces where experiencers feel empowered to speak openly without fear of judgement or pathologisation of their experience.

tEK support groups are facilitated by a trained peer supporter; someone who has emerged through their own crisis and now feels inspired to help others who are going through a similar process.

I think this is fascinating as it shows the continuity of one type of anomalous or spiritual experience from at least the early Mediaeval period up to the present day. The following interview is from TV show This Morning and aired on 7th December 2017.

And the following quote is from Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th century book the History of the Kings of Britain:

“In the books of our wise men and in many histories have I found that many men have been born into the world on this wise. For, as Apuleius in writing as touching the god of Socrates doth make report, certain spirits there be betwixt the moon and the earth, the which we do call incubus daemons. These have a nature that doth partake both of men and angels, and whensoever they will they do take upon them the shape of men, and do hold converse with mortal women. Haply one of these hath appeared unto this lady, and is the father of the youth.”

It should be noted that the understanding of daemons here is not the same as the Christian conception of demons that are subject to the Devil. Daemons were not considered to be servants of evil but rather spiritual beings that could act as guides or mediators between the gods and mortals.

NEON is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (RP-PG-0615-20016) and approved by the Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee (nrescommittee.eastmidlands-nottingham2@nhs.net), by the Health Research Authority, and by the Research and Innovation Team at Nottingham Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, who are sponsoring the project.'

"The OGOM Project is known for its imaginative events and symposia, which are often accompanied by a media frenzy. We were the first to invite vampires into the academy back in 2010. Our most recent endeavour, Company of Wolves: Werewolves, Shapeshifters and Feral Humans enjoyed extensive coverage globally and saw us congratulated in the THES for our ambitious 3 day programme which included actual wolves, ‘a first for a UK academy’. Our fourth conference will be an exciting collaboration with the Supernatural Cities: Narrated Geographies and Spectral Histories project at the University of Portsmouth. Supernatural Cities will enjoy its third regeneration, having previously convened in Portsmouth and Limerick."

"The media reports ghostly encounters, supernatural TV and films continue to be popular genres, and professionalised groups and organisations offer commercial experiences of the otherworldly. It seems that regardless of scientific progress and rationale thought, the allure of the extraordinary still prevails.

The Supernatural in Contemporary Society Conference (SCSC) aims to explore the continuing role of the supernatural. SCSC intends to provide an interdisciplinary forum to discuss current and emerging research, and examine these in relation to the impact and value this has on culture, heritage and tourism. In addition, industry professionals are invited to discuss current and emerging issues."

Erika A. Pratte at the University of Northampton is seeking participants for a new research study into Near-Death Experiences:

"The following questionnaire is part of a psychology doctorate degree project at the University of Northampton; it explores near-death experiences (NDEs) and adjustment to life post-NDE. People who have a subjective experience close to death or when temporarily dead have what is called a near-death experience (NDE). An NDE may involve characteristics such as seeing a bright light, going through a dark tunnel or void, seeing a spectacular place, meeting deceased loved ones or a “higher being,” and having an out-of-body experience (seeing your body while your awareness is outside of your body)."

For further information and to contribute to Erika's research please see her survey

Social context of anomalous experiences in a spiritual support-seeking population

This study, by Charlie Heriot-Maitland, aims to explore relationships between social factors and anomalous experiences, like changes in perception, spiritual-type experiences, hearing voices, or extrasensory communications.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY?

Many people describe having anomalous experiences. For some these experiences have a negative impact on their life and result in input from mental health services. For others, these experiences have a positive impact and can be life-enriching. This research aims to explore the protective social factors that might enable people to integrate their experiences in a helpful way. We would like to recruit people who have recently accessed a support network for spiritual crisis/emergence. For this study, it is not important how you describe or explain your own experiences, but if you have look for support through a spiritual network, then we would love to hear from you.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

Taking part will involve meeting with the researcher, either in person or via Skype, to discuss your experiences. This will last about 1 hour, including a short interview about your experiences and some questionnaires about, e.g., how you see yourself in relation to others. We are able to offer you £15 remuneration for your time. If you are eligible to also participate in the online follow-up part of the study, we will be able to offer you a further £10 for each assessment point, so a maximum of £35 for all three assessment points (0, 3, and 6 months).